This will be brief.
No long dissertation.
No wordy observations.
My brevity is not due to a lack of fondness for this particular work. But what more can I add to the discussion which hasn’t already been said.
Post-Trojan War and the fall of Priam, those warriors that have managed to escape death on the battlefield, go their separate ways.
Heroes returning home.
Some make it back, others do not.
But the story of Odysseus’s circuitous and much-delayed return to Ithaca is legendary.
And it all started because he p*ssed off Poseidon. BIG MISTAKE!
Told in parallel with his son’s, Telemachus’s, journey to discover the true fate of his father, The Odyssey is a Greek Classic accessible to all readers.
Loyalty, endurance, hospitality, and self-restraint are resounding themes in this epic novel.
Odysseus is a warrior of immense talent. His physical strength is renowned. However, there are circumstances that require more brains than brawn.
Odysseus must use his wits to battle the Cyclops, Polyphemus, and his charm to win over the magical goddess, Circe.
With assistance from the Gods (primarily Athena, who clearly has a crush on the main character) Odysseus’s perseverance and discipline through trials and tribulations are duly rewarded.
But as much as this is a story of one man’s epic journey by sea, it is also a coming-of-age tale.
When Odysseus left Ithaca to fight for the return of Helen, he left behind his wife, Penelope, and an infant son, Telemachus.
Telemachus has had to grow up quickly in order to support and protect his grieving mother. All the while, lecherous suitors who think Odysseus is dead, vie for his mother’s hand and greedily consume from his father’s coffers.
Odysseus at this point has been gone 20 years. That is a long absence. But it allows Telemachus to mature into a future leader of men.
If you’re new to Greek Classics, The Odyssey is a great starting point. There’s action and adventure, sea creatures, giant cannibals, magic, lotus eaters. There’s even special appearances from luminaries such as Achilles, Agamemnon, and Helen of Troy.
I guess this post wasn’t as brief as I intended it to be.🤷🏿♀️
~G